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Oct

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2012

A Hot Air Balloon History Lesson

 A Hot Air Balloon History Lesson

On November 9-11, Tunica will host the first-ever Tunica Balloon Bash. We’re very excited to add tethered rides, balloon glows and a pilot competition to our visitors’ gaming experience that weekend. But all the talk about hot air ballooning has also made us wonder how they got their start.

So we did a bit of Internet digging and found out some ballooning background. In 1783 in France, the first hot air balloon went up in the air. But its passengers were a bit unconventional; they were a sheep, duck and rooster. Apparently the farm animals fared well enough, because a couple of months later, the first manned hot air balloon was launched. The flight was successful and lasted about 20 minutes. This could be considered the first time man attempted flight.

Hot air balloons made their way to North America in 1793, when the first balloon flight was viewed by our first president, George
Washington. Manned hot air balloons have gone on to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and they’ve helped with surveillance, transportation and communication in multiple wars.

While we don’t want you to try to send up your pet duck, we’re looking forward to seeing all your photos from the event. Show us your view by sharing your photos on Twitter and Instagram with the tag #TunicaBalloonBash or post them on Facebook.com/TunicaMS. Full details about the Tunica Balloon Bash, along with a schedule, can be found here.

The Tunica Balloon Bash is sponsored by The Fitz Casino and Hotel, Gold Strike Casino Resort, Hollywood Casino Tunica and Horseshoe Casino and Hotel Tunica.

For more information about hot air balloons, check out these other blogs:

Hot Air Balloons in Pop Culture

1st Annual Tunica Balloon Bash

Boost Your Balloon IQ

Our Favorite Pins, Projects and Time Passers to Prepare for the Tunica Balloon Bash

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